Nichole Peffer has always been a strong advocate for volunteering for a good cause. Point Park University has been heavily involved with the “Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure” for the last three years. This year, Peffer is the team captain of Point Park’s “Think Pink” team.
 The 18th annual Race for the Cure will be held on Mother’s Day May 9 at Schenley Park’s Flagstaff Hill, located in Oakland. The annual event has taken place in Pittsburgh for 20 years, and last year, the event brought 30,000 people together to raise awareness about breast cancer. Last year, Point Park was the leading fundraiser of all colleges in the Pittsburgh region. Beating out the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University by over $12,000, Point Park doubled the amount of money raised. Peffer, a Point Park marketing and database manager, has begun to spread the word to faculty, students and alumni for volunteers through “save the date” e-mails and Facebook.
 “I think it’s important to find one or two things you are interested in and get involved,” Peffer said.
 “Susan G. Komen for the Cure” was established with a promise between sisters. Susan Goodman Komen and Nancy Goodman Brinker shared a bond that prevailed through Susan’s passing. Prior to her death, Susan asked her sister to do everything in her power to bring an end to breast cancer. That promise was held in high regard as Nancy established Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 1982 for the purpose of spreading awareness of breast cancer.Pittsburgh’s first Race for the Cure was held in 1993 and was arranged by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW). Now, in its 18th year, the event has become an annual Mother’s Day tradition for many residents in the tri-state area.
 Point Park’s “Think Pink” team has acquired eight participants, including students and faculty, and raised $338 of its $1,000 goal for this year. The participants and donations are usually a hit-or-miss opportunity, and word-of-mouth is what usually catches people’s attention. No activities for fund raising occur.
 “Most of the donations come through the individuals participating. The registration fee is a major part and goes toward the amount raised,” Peffer said.
 Students at Point Park have been involved in the Komen Race for the Cure for a number of years. Recently, the university as a whole began to advocate this cause.
 “Our intent was not to raise money. It was to get involved,” Peffer said.
 Komen for the Cure is one of the largest events during Point Park’s spring semester. The event begins with a running portion at 8:35 a.m., and walkers begin ten minutes after the runners. Participants of the “Think Pink” team will meet in the morning for a group photo, and university hats will be distributed to distinguish and thank members. A series of tents and vendors will also be available to raise awareness. With participants who walk in individuals’ names or memory, the Race for the Cure exudes hope and invigorates people to maintain a positive attitude for family, friends and themselves.
 “This day is a very beautiful, touching and memorable day,” Peffer said.
 If participants of the team are out of town or do not want to awaken early that morning, Sleep In for the Cure is an ideal alternative. Contributors who have donated will receive a Sleep In for the Cure T-shirt.
 Ja Nel Orwig, assistant to the chair in Point Park’s education department, has been personally affected by breast cancer and is a part of “Think Pink” Sleep In for the Cure.
“My boss, who I really care about and love, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year,” Orwig said. “I watched her go through all of her treatments, lose her hair and still come to work with a good attitude and almost as much energy as she had before. I prayed for her, listened to her and comforted her all along the way. I felt like I couldn’t not participate.”
 Today, breast cancer awareness is seen worldwide, and the achievements that result from it are immense. In the past, the subject of breast cancer was taboo. Breast cancer was rarely talked about, neither in private nor within the medical community.
 Joan Hamby, a reference librarian and communications professor at Point Park, fought an ongoing battle with breast cancer in previous years. Hamby attributes her survival to women’s magazines, such as Good Housekeeping. Persistence with her doctors after finding a lump became Hamby’s main objective. Her intuition would not quit, prompting her to continue seeking medical assistance, even when Hamby’s doctors suggested she not worry. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1979, Hamby felt isolated and alone because she was unable to voice her concerns to family and friends.
 “Back then, if you had cancer it was thought…you were dead,” Hamby said. “It seemed as though there was nothing you could do about it.”
 Hamby realizes that the prior stigma attached to breast cancer no longer exists. In fact, she has donated for several years and run in the Komen Race for the Cure for three years.
 “I think raising awareness is vital,” Hamby said. “It gives a sense of hope, and research will further that ambition.”